Cookbooks: 'One Pan, Two Plates'

Frustrated with eating out? This book has 70 recipes that are quick, from-scratch and only use one pan. (Chronicle Books)

It's not the actual cooking that makes so many people resort to fast food and takeout fare, says Carla Snyder, author of the new "One Pan, Two Plates" (Chronicle Books, $24.95). It's the prep, the organizing and, of course, all those dirty pots and pans. So the Ohio-based culinary instructor has come up with the perfect solution: 70 quick, from-scratch, complete dinners that use exactly one pot.

A single 12-inch skillet is all you need to turn out weeknight dinners for two, including Herbed Chicken Paillards with Zucchini Pancakes and Cherry Tomato Pan Sauce, for example, or Prosciutto-Wrapped Salmon with Corn and Poblano Succotash in less than an hour. Many of the recipes take 30 minutes or less. It's a practical, delicious approach. Here's just a taste: